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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26725033">Tensions</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/auriond/pseuds/auriond'>auriond</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Psycho-Pass</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:48:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>717</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26725033</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/auriond/pseuds/auriond</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sugou invites Kougami and Ginoza out for drinks to celebrate their renewed working relationship, but has to leave early. Kougami and Ginoza finally make peace.</p><p>I wrote this out of frustration about the unaddressed dynamics between our main three in Season 3, but I hope future canon will finally show what really happened.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Tensions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"So, Federica got her claws into you as well, huh?"</p><p>Sugou tilted his head back and downed most of his <i>shochu</i> in one gulp. He wiped his mouth and pointed his empty glass at one of his companions at the table, his normally uwavering aim just a little unsteady. "Never figured you'd come back."</p><p>Kougami, the target of Sugou's glass, looked down at his beer with a slight smile. "Neither did I," he said quietly. </p><p>"Well, the important thing is you're back," Sugou said, a little louder than usual. "Right, Gino?"</p><p>Ginoza said nothing. He cradled his untouched whisky in his gloved left hand, and maintained a stony silence.</p><p>Sugou hiccuped, his face flushed. "Ahh, I think I might have had a bit too much. Should've eaten before coming here."</p><p>"We can order something for you," Kougami offered. </p><p>Sugou waved him away. "Nah, I'm not hungry. Plus, coming here was my idea. It's supposed to be my treat." He beamed at Kougami and Ginoza. "Colleagues again! Who would've thought, huh?" He raised his glass and boomed, "Here's to many more years of working together!"</p><p>But before the others could react, he half-belched, half-retched. Then it turned into actual retching. Kougami sprang out of his seat. "I think you've had enough, Sugou," he said gently, taking his friend's elbow and signalling the bartender. Ginoza wordlessly rose to take Sugo's other elbow, and together they helped their protesting companion out of the <i>izakaya</i> and into the rainy Tokyo streets. </p><p>******</p><p>Once they had seen Sugo safely home, Ginoza turned to leave. The rain had stopped, leaving the silent streets glistening in the city lights. </p><p>Kougami went with him without comment for a short distance, but as they crossed the bridge to the south side of the river, he held him back with a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, Gino."</p><p>Ginoza stopped, but he still said nothing.</p><p>Kougami sighed. "All right, let's get this over and done with." He squared his shoulders; briefly, his hand strayed towards the pocket in which he customarily kept his smokes, but he thought better of it and let it drop. He cleared his throat awkwardly.</p><p>Ginoza waited.</p><p>"I... I apologize," Kougami said finally, his voice strained. </p><p>Ginoza laughed, humorlessly. "What for?" he said. They were the first words he had spoken to Kougami all evening. Actually, Kougami reflected, they were the first words he had said to him in <i>years</i>.</p><p>"For..." Kougami trailed off. Where was the speech he had prepared all day? His mind was a complete blank. </p><p>Ginoza turned, and for the first time he lifted his eyes to meet Kougami's. They held a vast sadness that had never been there before. </p><p>"Kougami," he said, "when you first left, she searched for you. For <i>months</i>."</p><p>Kougami flinched.</p><p>"And when you had finally left her mind," Ginoza continued relentlessly, "you showed up again. And now... you're back."</p><p>"I -" Kougami said helplessly, but Ginoza wasn't done. </p><p>"Did you think coming back would help? Did you think you could swoop in and rescue her? After all you had done? After all you didn't do? That a simple 'sorry' would be sufficient?"</p><p>For a moment, Ginoza's eyes burned with the fire that Kougami remembered from their college days. Then the sadness clouded them over again. </p><p>"I've had a long time to think about what to do when you finally returned," he said, so quietly that Kougami could barely hear him. "I'm not actually mad at you for what you did. I think we got even back at Shambala, and I like to think it made you and her even as well. So, Kougami, if - when - we get her out, please. Make sure she's happy. That's all I ask." He smiled, a genuine one this time, but filled with that same vast sadness. A sadness, Kougami realised, born of incredible crushing loss; and this was only the latest in a long chain of such losses.</p><p>Kougami bowed his head. "Thank you, Gino." It sounded hollow, but there wasn't anything else he could say.</p><p>They stood there, again in awkward silence, but of a different sort. It was the silence of years of tensions dissipating into the night.</p><p>Ginoza held out his ungloved hand. "Welcome back, Kougami."</p><p>Kougami hesitated, then smiled and grasped it. </p><p>"It's good to be back."</p>
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